Female Lead, Something's Not Right (GL) - Chapter 27

Leaving the sect today, she thought she saw Lu Ran and Zhao Feixue. Both were walking hurriedly, their expressions serious. She deliberately lingered for a while but still didn’t see True Monarch Hehua. Though worried, she was helpless as she couldn’t contact her.

“Sister! Look, it’s 300 year old Silk Grass.” Zhou Manzi’s eyes were filled with joy. Not long after entering the valley, the two spotted a patch of herbs.

Others glanced at it, scoffed, and continued deeper. However, Gu Shiyan and Zhou Manzi treated them like treasures, putting them into their storage bags.

“In our small region, spiritual energy is sparse. Plus, ordinary people pick and sell herbs, so even low-grade century-old spiritual herbs are rare.”

Zhou Manzi and Gu Shiyan continued forward, collecting most of the spiritual herbs along the way. Compared to others, their harvest was abundant, drawing frequent glances and even prompting others to join them. However, before long, everyone became unsatisfied with these low-grade herbs. A few companions initially felt apprehensive, but seeing the two only picking common spiritual herbs, they didn’t take them seriously and formed small groups to head toward the deeper parts of the valley.

Time flew by in their busyness. A faint roar of a fierce beast came from a distance, making Gu Shiyan suddenly realize that dusk was approaching.

“Senior Brother Zhou, it’s getting dark. Let’s find a place to rest nearby.”

The two found shelter and rested under a rock overhang. The night was cold in the valley. Zhou Manzi built a fire, and Gu Shiyan sat around the fire, nibbling on the spiritual fruits from the valley.

“Sister, here you go.”

“Thank you, Senior Brother Zhou. I brought dried meat; I don’t like consuming Bigu Pills.”

Gu Shiyan rummaged through her storage bag, carefully counting. She had nearly thirty types of herbs, including the mid-grade Shengchuanwu (processed monkshood), which was uncommon on the market. She should be able to make a small fortune on this trip.

“We need to quicken our pace tomorrow. We’re still on the outskirts of the Medicine King Valley. Everyone else should have reached the middle ring by now. The few herbs I need are inside. I came to the valley specifically for them,” Zhou Manzi said with some anxiety.

“I was just about to discuss that with you. We’ve collected most of the common spiritual herbs. The precious and rare ones are in the deep part. If we fall too far behind, we won’t get any benefits. But Senior Brother Zhou, you don’t need to be overly anxious. It’s also a good thing for us to have others scouting ahead and clearing obstacles.”

“You’re right, Sister. Do you have a goal in the valley? If so, we can split up to search faster. If not, we can travel together. Don’t worry, apart from the herbs I need, you can choose any other precious treasures first. I’m willing to compromise,” Zhou Manzi’s attitude was sincere, but deep down, he still hoped to travel with Gu Shiyan.

Gu Shiyan pondered for a moment. Right now, her cultivation breakthrough required a Foundation Establishment Pill, and after that, a Golden Core Pill, and then a Nascent Soul Pill and a Soul Transformation Pill. In addition, she needed elixirs for daily spiritual energy replenishment, detoxification, offense, defense, and so on!

The path of an alchemist stretched out like a bottomless pit, a pit that needed massive amounts of heavenly treasures and spirit stones to feed.

The road ahead is long and arduous indeed~

Gu Shiyan sighed helplessly. “I have too many goals. I’ll travel with you then.”

••••

In a high-walled, secluded courtyard in the Kunlun Valley Mountain Range, Bai Su placed several rare herbs by Shen Shu’s bedside and used spiritual energy to draw the medicinal properties into Shen Shu’s body.

The sleeping Shen Shu frowned, her expression exceptionally painful. The black scales on her neck immediately appeared and quickly spread to her arms and legs. Seeing this, Bai Su increased the output of spiritual energy, and a black dragon tail vaguely appeared beneath Shen Shu’s legs.

Suddenly, Shen Shu’s deep, black-red eyes angrily snapped open with killing intent.

“Bai Su! How dare you force me to reveal my true form!” Shen Shu’s eyes were filled with malice, and her words, ground out through clenched teeth, held unconcealed rage.

“Shen Shu, you can trust me.”

Bai Su stabilized her posture. Sweat dripped down her forehead, and silver strands of hair clung to her cheek, giving her a look of obsessive beauty.

“You dare!”

Shen Shu endured the discomfort of the turbid energy consuming her body. Her spiritual energy coalesced into an ice blade, which ruthlessly slashed toward Bai Su’s throat. She was aiming to kill!

Bang! The ritual was forcefully interrupted. Bai Su was thrown several meters, smashing against the wall. Shen Shu spat out a mouthful of black blood and fell into a coma again.

Bai Su licked the blood from the corner of her lips, her eyes filled with madness. “Even my Medicine King Valley’s secret technique couldn’t break the restrictions on your body. Are you divine beings all so cruel to yourselves? Since this doesn’t work, it seems I can only sacrifice that thing…”

“Someone!” Bai Su called out softly. “I’m going to the Phoenix Pool. If anyone asks, say I went out to search for herbs.”

“But, Mistress…” Qiu Yue hesitated. “It is currently the Phoenix Nirvana period. The Valley Master commanded that no one should enter. If the Valley Master finds out about this…”

Bai Su looked at her with a commanding gaze. “Do your duty. If I find out who leaks the secret…”

Qiu Yue quickly lowered her head. “This servant wouldn’t dare!”

••••

Gu Shiyan and Zhou Manzi reached the middle ring of the Medicine King Valley. For several days, they were either collecting spiritual herbs or on their way to collect them. During this time, they fought with some guardian spirit beasts and even battled cultivators who maliciously tried to steal their storage bags.

“That was too close! Is this the barrier between cultivation stages? He was only at the early Core Formation stage. Even with severe injuries, killing us two would have been as easy as slicing a melon.”

“It was that cultivator’s karma,” Gu Shiyan said calmly.

“Sister! I really can’t believe it! We not only managed to snatch something from a Core Formation cultivator but also killed him and got his storage bag! Quick, look! There must be a lot of good stuff inside!”

Gu Shiyan recalled the previous scene with a shudder of fear. If that cultivator hadn’t been severely injured and lost an arm in a previous fight, they might not have escaped, let alone managed to get the Thousand-Year Ganoderma from him.

It started when Zhou Manzi first discovered a clump of Thousand-Year Ganoderma in the center of a clear pool. It was one of the herbs he desperately needed. However, too many people coveted this Ganoderma, including Core Formation experts, so they naturally didn’t dare to step forward rashly.

“What should we do? This herb is crucial for me. Someone at home is waiting for it to save their life. We can’t snatch food from a Core Formation expert!” Zhou Manzi hardened his resolve. “At worst, I’ll self-detonate my body and fight him! Even getting a small piece would be enough.”

Gu Shiyan watched the few people by the clear pool not far away. “Senior Brother Zhou, don’t rush. There might be a slight opening.”

Zhou Manzi’s eyes instantly lit up. “Really! Sister, do you have a plan?”

“I observed closely just now. A few people in their team had ill intentions and were planning something. I guess something will happen soon!”

A commotion started. It was the Ganoderma’s guardian spirit beast, a fourth-tier Scarlet Python, attacking the cultivators. The battle was in a stalemate until the appearance of a second, twin Scarlet Python, which completely reversed the situation. The cultivators, who had been gaining the upper hand with various spiritual artifacts, were instantly swallowed by the pythons.

“The Ganoderma is gone!”

“Chase it! It’s in the hands of that Core Formation expert.” Gu Shiyan had been observing the fight from the embankment since the beginning. Just as the Scarlet Python nearly caught up to the Core Formation cultivator, the cultivator shoved the person next to him to block the python’s mouth, and with a quick hand amidst the chaos, snatched the Ganoderma.

Gu Shiyan followed the trail of blood on the ground. “He lost an arm, and he used up quite a few spiritual artifacts in the fight with the Scarlet Python. This is our chance. The commotion just now has attracted other cultivators. It will be much harder to snatch it then.”

“Okay! If you can really help me get the Ganoderma, Sister, I only need a small piece of it; the rest is yours!”